FRONT PAGE CONTRIBUTOR

Put Vladimir Putin’s name in the Little Book.

The United States and Russia agreed Saturday on an outline for the identification and seizure of Syrian chemical weapons and said Syria must turn over an accounting of its arsenal within a week.

[snip]

Senior administration officials had said Friday the Obama administration would not press for U.N. authorization to use force against Syria if it reneges on any agreement to give up its chemical weapons.

The Russians had made clear in talks here between Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Kerry that the negotiations could not proceed under the threat of a U.N. resolution authorizing a military strike. Russia also wanted assurances that a resolution would not refer Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to the International Criminal Court for possible war-crimes prosecution.

PS: Hey, Barry? See all those buttons and switches and dials and touch-screens labeled “National Security” and “Foreign Policy?” Yeah, don’t touch any of those unless there’s a Republican or other adult present.

PPS: A wise Presidential candidate will be one who understands that there’s a range of options between getting embroiled in a war for no good reason, and letting the United States of America get rolled by a low-budget comic book villain with a polonium-tipped umbrella. Let him or her who hath ears listen, and understand.